The Darkest Hour
by Coraline15
Summary: After an attack on Irk by the evil Voltarians, Zim is forced to work in the mines along with other prisoners of Irk and other planets. Full Summary Inside PLEASE MAKE SURE TO R&R! THANKS! :D:D (Discontinued...)
1. Chapter 1

The Darknest Hour

_**Disclaimers: All Invader Zim characters except for Teela, Saint, Elora, Fae, Xane and many Voltarian characters are owned by Jhonen Vasquez and are copied without permission. This story has been made for fun and not profit.  
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>Writer's Note: This is one of my first Invader Zim stories so please be nice on how it's written. The idea for this story kinda came to while I was at work one day. I'm not sure why it did, but I really wanted to write about it. This story mostly takes place around Zim and how he meets Dib under different circumstances; as to what if Zim hadn't come to Earth and tried to take over like in the series. I am also going to have a few made up alien races because I feel that it would make more sense that way. Also, they might be a bit out of character. Might be a bit dark and dramatic. So for the people who may get upset easily, might not want to continue reading this story. Just a warning in case you are. (Rated PG-13 for drama and darkness.)<p>

Part One

The day had been that of any other day on planet Irk. The sun was shining and seemed that nothing was a miss. It had been a successful battle for Irken Empire. Three young Irkens made their way through the city.

The first was a young male. He was around his teen years and had deep ruby red eyes. He was dressed in red with black pants, boots and gloves. His PAK was a grey and red. His name was Zim.

The second was also a male with the same colored eyes; yet a bit brighter in shade. Though he was a bit more stout and seemed a bit shorter than Zim, he was near the same age. His name was Skooge.

The third of the trio was a young female. She was dressed in a deep purple dress with black boots and gloves and had deep violet eyes and had a somewhat strange device attached to the side of her face. Her name was Tak.

Zim, Skooge, and Tak were on their way back from their training to become the next invaders for the next mission for the Irken Empire. Their training had been a bit difficult for them; especially for Zim. As much as he would try, it was still hard for him to learn many of the things required for being an invader.

The reason for this was because Zim was a bit defective; which would mean it took a bit longer for him to learn certain things. Though this was true, Zim was very smart and resourceful. Skooge and Tak were his close friends who cared about who he was and Zim knew he could depend on them for anything. Soon, Zim sighed.

"Training seems to get harder every time we go." He stated. "Why must it be like this?"

"I know seems to be difficult now, Zim," Tak replied." "But it will all pay off after we finish the training."

"I wonder if we'll ever get chosen to be in Impending Doom II." Skooge said; looking hopeful.

"It might happen." Tak replied. "If we keep up with the hard work."

"You're right, we shouldn't give up so easily." Zim said; perking up a bit. "I will be the greatest elite invader ever!"

"Keep telling yourself that." Tak teased as a faint wheering sound soon filled the air.

Just then, there was a massive explosion; which caught them off guard. One of the building's they had been passing near had just been blown to smithereens. The trio gazed in awe at the sight and were soon shocked by many more explosions.

As this continued, an air raid siren began to echo throughout the city. Soon, a silver and black ship descended from the smog filled sky; sending more blasts of energy at the city as citizens ran screaming.

By the sight of the ship, and to their horror, it was indeed a Voltarian ship! Zim and the others took cover as another blast struck one of the buildings of the city; sending it to the ground as more explosions rocked the planet.

There were screams of fear and horror as many of the Irken race were being captured and hauled away.

"Skooge, Tak!" He screamed as he saw his friends being dragged out of sight.

Zim soon turned to see more Voltarians were coming his way. He spun back around and made a break for it. He looked behind and could see the Voltarians closing in on him. Zim continued to run; desperate to get away.

The young Irken suddenly screamed in agony as a sharp pain ripped through his body. One of the Voltarians had hit him with a zap-pole; shorting out the power in his PAK; making any way to use his weapons within it useless; which was what his captors had hoped would happen. Zim felt a bit numb as he was soon forced to the ground.

"A lot of spirit for such a small creature." One of the officers sneered; glaring down at the helpless Irken on the ground. "But that should change after we are through." The officer rose to his feet once more. "Take him to the ship with the others. His only use now is to harvest Bolhetrium Crystals."

The fellow officers soon hauled Zim to his feet and was forced to walk. Zim soon got enough energy to look up. He watched as other prisoners were be dragged away to the Voltarian ship and cried out as he was suddenly flung against it, face first and his arms were shackled behind him.

The impact of the cold steel left a trickle of blood to appear on the side of his head as he was searched for weapons and was dragged into the ship. The sounds of the siren were soon muffled as they continued into the ship.

Soon, the only sound that could be heard were their footsteps as they clanked faintly against the metallic floor as the guards escorted the young Irken down the main hall; passing different halls along the way.

After what seemed to be forever for Zim; though was only many moments, they entered a large, white room with many small metallic cells.

Upon entering the room, Zim gazed around to see many other prisoners of different races and species. A blow to the face from one of the Voltarians sent the lights dancing before Zim's eyes.

"Keep looking ahead, you scum!" The officer growled and continued to escort him to his cell.

Soon, they stopped at one of the cells. One of the Voltarians opened soon opened it and shoved Zim inside; closing and locking the door behind him. After doing so, they left the room. Zim then felt the floor beneath him vibrate as the ship began to take off.

He turned toward the small glass window nearby; which he could only see the sky; which was dark from the several building that were still smoldering from the explosions and fires inflicted on them.

Soon, the sky was clear and could only see stars against the blackness of space. Zim hung his head as he soon realized that he would never see his home again as the ship continued its ascent into the sky.

**I know this seems kinda weird ^^; But I just thought this would make a good story :D Also, I thought that since Zim hadn't destroyed Irk in Impending Doom one, that he wasn't exiled and since he wasn't... Well, you get it ;) Btw, I made up the evil race of Aliens that attcks them :) I just felt that it would work out better this way :D More will come soon! PLEASE R&R! THANKS! :D:D**

**PS- Incase you were wondering what the Voltarians look like, they are kinda lizard-like and all have different color of scales the species and wear red and black uniforms :) Just an FYI ^^; **


	2. Chapter 2

The Darknest Hour

Part Two

Days came and went since Zim had left Irk along with the other prisoners; though to Zim it seemed to be much longer. All Zim could hope was that the rest of the Irken civilization that had been left behind had made it to the safety of an underground base.

Zim sat quietly inside his cell; continuing to think as he gazed off into space; not even noticing that the ship had landed again. The sounds of explosions, panic, and chaos that echoed outside the ship, were muffled by the thick metallic walls around him.

Zim was soon broke out of his trance and caught by surprise as he heard the sound of footsteps coming from the distance; approaching his cell. Zim looked out of the bars of the cell to see who was coming his way.

It was one of the Voltarians escorting yet another unfortunate prisoner to their cell. What shocked Zim the most about the prisoner was that it was a type of creature he had never seen in his lifetime. By the look of it, Zim could tell it was indeed a young male.

The boy had ivory colored skin and looked to be no older than twelve or thirteen years. He was dressed in black with a blue shirt beneath with what seemed to be a grey neutral type of face on the front.

He also had black hair; which seemed to be in a scythe type of style along with a large pair of glasses. As the guard and said prisoner passed Zim's cell, the boy turned in his direction and Zim's deep ruby eyes met with the boy's bright amber ones. The boy continued his glance at the young Irken inside the cell.

"Look ahead, you little brat!" The guard growled; striking the boy in the head and shoving him forward.

Zim jumped back in shock and watched as the guard dragged the boy past the cell and vanish from sight. _'What a strange creature.'_ Zim thought to himself as he heard the sound of a cell door slam shut in the distance.

Zim then turned back to the window; seeing the smoggy sky vanish and be replaced by the blackness of space once more.

"That should be the last of them until we drop off this load." He heard one of the guards say as they passed his cell once more.

Zim watched them leave. Once they had vanished from his sight, Zim sighed and hung his head. The young Irken nearly jumped as he soon felt a sudden change of the ship's ascent. It seemed to take off like a shot; causing Zim to nearly fall over in his cell.

After a few moments, Zim got up and looked out the window once more. Everything outside of it had become a bit blurred as the ship shot through the air. Sitting down once more.

Zim continued to think of what was waiting for him and the others imprisoned here. He also couldn't help but wonder what the future would hold for them once they reached their destination.

**Not much talking in this part ^^; I couldn't think of what else they should say -_-; Also sorry if this part was kinda short ^^; But I had a writer's block ^^;^^; I'll try to get more up soon :) I hope you're enjoying this so far :D ****PLEASE R&R! THANKS! :D:D**


	3. Chapter 3

The Darknest Hour

Part Three

Even at the speed the ship was traveling, time seemed to pass by agonizingly slow. Zim didn't know which direction they were headed or when they would get there. It seemed that it would take forever.

It wasn't until the ship slowed pace and began to land he realized they were there. Zim heard the sound of footsteps coming his way once more. The door to his cell swung open and the Voltarians entered.

Zim winced at the pain in his cramped legs as he was roughly hauled to his feet and dragged along by his captors. As he was brought out of the ship, Zim looked around; taking in the sight of the horrible place the Voltarians had brought him.

The skies were dark from all the smoke that the factories and surprisingly the ground was emitting; which slightly made his eyes sting. Many metallic building scattered the horizon and land nearby. The small sporadic rivers of lava seemed to tint the white and silver walls of many of the buildings around them.

Black railroad tracks ran from the near top of the mountains; making their ways toward the ground level and into the underground caverns. The rusty red ground continued to crunch beneath Zim's feet as he was escorted to the prison.

This wasn't just any prison, it was Saltrius Forge Prison. As he was herded through the halls of the prison, Zim was soon disgusted with the prison he had been dragged to. There was hardly any air to breathe.

The smell of blood; fresh and old, and smoldering rock became overwhelming. Each of the cells had only one window for staring out of. Every prisoner that they walked past were terribly thin and were either sleeping or hanging on the cell bars, begging for the guard's mercy on them; which all fell on deaf ears.

Zim then noticed that a few of the cells were empty. It was then he realized the Voltarians had murdered the occupants in cold blood while they were defenseless behind bars. _'Oh my Irk!'_ Zim nearly gagged, as he chanced a look in upon a cell that had not been 'cleaned out' yet.

Soon, the guards stopped at a cell that was fortunately empty. They threw him inside and Zim fell to the floor with a soft thud. When the guards came back a few minutes later, they had a bunkmate for him.

It was the creature he had met on the ship before they had come to the prison; though it had only been for a few seconds Zim knew him somewhat. The guards unshackled the boy and thrust him inside; slamming the door closed behind him before walking away.

Zim took this moment to get up and walk toward him. After a moment, the boy soon got up and dusted himself off; his back facing the young Irken. Feeling a presence, he then turned around. His bright amber eyes met with Zim's for the second time. The two continued to stare; not sure of what to make of each other.

"Um... Hi." The boy said finally; after a moment.

Zim's antennas perked up in surprise to hear the boy speak.

"Hello." The Irken replied.

Zim saw the boy's eyes widened in shock. After a moment, the boy smiled. Soon, he frowned again.

"What exactly _are_ you?" He asked after a moment.

"What are _you_?" Zim asked back. "Um... You go first." The boy insisted.

"Well," Zim began. "I'm Irken." He answered.

"Irken?" The boy asked; confused.

"Yes, I come from the planet Irk." Zim explained; grinning slightly as well. "What about yourself?"

"Well... I'm a human." The boy replied.

"Hy-uuumon?" Zim asked in confusion; slightly slaughtering the pronunciation; though not on purpose.

"Human." The boy corrected; smiling. "My home planet is called Earth. So I'd also be referred to as being an Earthling."

There was a moment of silence before the boy spoke up.

"What's your name?" He asked; a smile on his face.

"My name is Zim." The Irken answered. "What's yours?"

The boy reflected the smile.

"I'm Dib." He replied. "Dib Membrane."

Zim nodded in understanding.

"Pleasure to meet you, Dib Membrane." He said; shaking Dib's hand.

"Um... Just call me Dib." He grinned; rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand.

"Okay... Dib." Zim grinned; letting go of his hand.

There was a moment of silence between them; when, Dib spoke up.

"What exactly are we suppose to do here, Zim?" He asked; a bit worried.

"They are having us mine for Bolhetrium Crystals." Zim answered; frowning at this. "The Voltarians are planning to have us as their slaves."

Zim could tell by the look on the boy's face that he was in shock along with a look of sorrow.

"Do you know where the others of your planet are?" Zim asked; changing the subject.

"Well, I'm not sure where they all are. We were all separated when we were back on the ship." Dib answered. "My sister Gaz is somewhere in the camp, but I don't really know where." He continued. "I think my Dad's with her; along with everyone else I might know."

"Oh" Zim replied.

"What about you, Zim?" Dib then asked. "Do you know where your friends and family are?"

Zim opened his mouth to speak; closing it soon after.

"I'm afraid... I don't know either." Zim replied finally; looking at the stone floor. "They may be anywhere in this horrible prison." He said; looking up again. "I don't know when I will see them or my planet again." Zim added; looking back at the floor again.

Dib placed a hand on Zim's shoulder; causing him to glance up to see a look of sympathy on the boy's face.

"Thank you." Zim grinned.

"You're welcome." Dib replied; grinning as well.

There was another moment of silence before Zim spoke up.

"We should get some rest." He stated; as he caught the sight of the sky darkening outside the window. "We have much work to do."

Though Irkens barely needed sleep, he still felt exhausted from what had happened for the past few days and knew some rest may do they both some good. Dib nodded as Zim's request and took a spot on the only bed within the cell as Zim found a place on the floor.

Zim soon took one last look at the world outside and laid down. Closing his eyes, he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

**Yeah... I kinda got a little carried away ^^; This is kinda why I had rated it T ^^;^^; Anyways, this part is a little bit longer than my last one :) I'll try to get more up soon :D I'm hoping you're enjoying my story so far :D ****PLEASE R&R! THANKS! :D:D**


	4. Chapter 4

The Darknest Hour

Part Four

Zim yelped in pain as he suddenly felt something hard blow strike his body. He looked up groggily to see a Voltarian officer standing over him.

"On your feet!" He growled; kicking Zim in the stomach, causing him to go into a fit of coughing. As the officer did this, Dib got up from his spot and began to punch at him furiously.

"Hey! Quite it!" He shouted; hitting the officer over and over. The Voltarian laughed harshly and shoved the boy to the ground, not gently.

"You should conserve your energy for the labor ahead. Get up, you worthless waste of space!" he yelled at Zim, kicking him once again.

Zim struggled to get up while Dib got up once more and attacked the Voltarian from behind. With a grunt that sounded more like an exasperated sigh, the Voltarian, whose name was Sulfaite, picked the boy up and threw him into Zim who had just managed to catch his breath.

"Your little friend should watch himself the next time he wants to engage in a fight." He seethed. "Next time I won't be so tolerant. Now get your sorry butts up! We're going to the mines. Some hard labor will harden your tender emotions."

After this was said, more guards came in to assist the other and the Irken and boy were hauled to their feet in a bruising grip and dragged out of their cell. The rusty red ground crunched beneath their feet as they were lead to the mines.

When they made it to one of the main caverns they stopped as a mine-car made its way down the track. Inside the car, Zim and Dib could see it loaded with bright neon blue colored rocks; which seemed to glow brilliantly against the redness of their surroundings. The car stopped on the track and one of the officers fetched one out for them all to see.

"See this?" The officer, named Granite, asked gruffly. "This is what we want. You will be sure not to disappoint us." He sneered. "Now move!" The officer growled; shoving them inside the mine.

The vapors emitting from the walls made the entire cavern seem to rise in temperature. Though it was dimly lit, Zim and Dib could see many of the prisoners digging through the molten rock; working hard to find the gleaming crystals.

The guards soon viciously shackled them together along with the other prisoners; making sure they were where they could be kept an eye on. The guards then shoved a bunch of tools they needed into their hands. Zim and Dib both knew this was going to be a long day.

The heat within the cave was nearly unbearable as they began to work. With the steam from the rocks along with the small rivers of lava made the work seem excruciatingly difficult. The officer lashed out with a whip if someone so much as slowed their pace from any exhaustion.

Zim and Dib continued to dig and work; hoping to find more of the crystals the Voltarians longed for. Out of the corner of Zim's eye, he spotted a figure working deeper within the tunnel; which he soon paid no mind to.

The sound of crumbling rock slightly caught his attention; yet he continued to work. Zim turned in complete shock as he heard a pained yelp coming from that direction. Turning toward the sound, he soon got a good look at the figure nearby.

It was a young female Irken; possibly in her mid teens. She wore a bright violet dress; which seemed to have an Irken symbol on the front along with a grey and violet PAK and black gloves.

Her boots were a deep silver with brighter silver on the toes of them; along with a zipper-like fashion on them. Thin, white straps were fastened in an X on both boots. Her eyes; which were a radiant silvery bluish purple, seemed to glow in the dimly lit room.

Zim and Dib looked on as they saw the pained look on her face as she grasped her injured arm. The soft pang of metal hitting rock was heard when she accidently dropping her tool she was using. Zim soon saw one of the officers walking over to strike her for stopping her digging. Zim and Dib gasped as they heard the officer growl viciously.

"You pathetic waste of space!" He bellowed. The She-Irken looked at him in fear. "How dare you resign from working!"

Disgusted by what the Voltarian was saying and was about to do, Zim angrily lifted his chains; causing the officer to trip over them. Zim grinned as he watched with satisfaction as the Voltarian stumbled.

Dib did his best to hold back a snicker as the officer fell forward, and landed on his face. The officer was stunned for five blessed seconds, but then he got up once again; not looking too happy with what had been done. He soon toward over them; Dib looking a bit nervous; though Zim stood his ground.

"You think you're so clever." The Voltarian, Graphite growled. "Willing to risk your wellbeing for another useless prisoner."

"We're not worthless!" Dib snapped angrily.

The officer turned to the young boy; his eyes gleaming. Seeing this, Dib backed up slightly. Graphite made his way closer and slightly amused when Zim stepped in front of him; staring up at the copper scaled Voltarian before him. The officer chuckled.

"You're quite a soldier aren't you?"

"N-no. I'm-"

The Voltarian struck Zim hard across the face.

"Listen, scum. When I say you're a soldier, it means you are one!"

Zim growled at this, earning himself another blow.

"We'll need to fix that attitude of yours." Graphite sneered; before turning and leaving to check on the other prisoners working nearby.

Zim soon turned back to the She-Irken who stared at him in shock.

"Are you alright?" He asked; thankful that everyone had gone back to digging after the guard had left.

"Yes." She replied. "You know you didn't need to do that." Zim shrugged.

"I didn't want him to hurt you anymore than you already are." He stated.

"Well... Thank you..." She trailed off.

"Zim." Zim smiled. "I'm Zim and this is my friend Dib."

Dib smiled and waved.

"My name is Teela." The She-Irken replied. "And thank you for what you did."

"You're welcome." Zim grinned; earning him a somewhat smug look from Dib.

Zim elbowed him lightly along with a look as if to say 'Oh stop it'. Teela grinned.

"We should get back to work before that guard comes back.

Zim and nodded in agreement and soon they all began to dig once again.

**Sorry if it's kinda rushed ^^; ****I had a really bad writer's block -_-; More will hopefully be up soon :) I hope you're enjoying my story :D ****PLEASE R&R! THANKS! :D:D**


	5. Chapter 5

The Darknest Hour

Part Five

As hours passed by, Zim and Dib continued to dig. Soon they all found enough of the crystals to fill the once empty car. The now full car was then sent away and an empty one replaced it. This continued on until one of the guards finally yelled that time was up, and the prisoners were able to stop.

The guards then began to unshackle the prisoners so they were to be escorted back to their cells. But as Zim was following behind Dib with his escort, one of the other guards stopped and grabbed Zim in a tight grip; stopping him from going anywhere.

"Not so fast, little soldier." The guard, Granite hissed; tightening his grip; causing Zim to cry out in pain.

Dib turned in shock at the sight of this.

"Zim!" He shouted.

"Quiet, you little whelp!" His captor growled; hitting the boy across the face and forced him to keep walking in the direction of the prison.

"You shouldn't worry too much about that little punk." Granite saw Zim watch Dib being dragged away. "You still have much work to do."

"I thought my shift was over." Zim gaped in a shock.

"With the lack of work in the other caves, you will be taken to the mountain caverns to take part in the night shift."

With this being said, Zim was soon led in the into the opposite direction that Dib and his captor had gone. They soon began to pass large pumping units near a few of the lava flows as they began to make their ascend up the side of the mountain.

The steam from the rocks and lava streams made the air barely breathable. After what seemed to take forever, they reached their destination. The onyx black Voltarian standing guard soon turned around

"Ah, a new recruit." The guard, Garnet sneered. "Chain him up with the others." Granite nodded; dragging Zim into the caves; which seemed multiple times hotter than the cavern at ground level. The Granite soon shackled Zim together with another prisoner nearby.

After this was done, Granite soon left and Garnet went back to keeping watch. Zim began to dig; searching for more of the crystals. Once Garnet made his rounds to check on the other prisoners, Zim took the chance to glance over at one of the prisoners near him. The said prisoner was like he had never seen; though he somewhat has.

He could tell it was a female. She had ivory colored skin. _'Just like Dib.'_ Zim mused; as he continued with his digging. The girl looked to be no older than ten or eleven years. She wore a black dress with grey long sleeves and black boots along with what seemed to be a skull necklace of some sorts. Her hair was a deep magenta purple; which looked a bit matted from the intense heat. She soon turned in his direction.

"What?" She grunted; a bit annoyed; her bright amber eyes filled with irritation.

"Um... I was just-"

"Whatever." She mumbled; a bit annoyed.

"So how long does this last?" Zim asked after a moment.

"About until the sky gets dark and the guards come to get us." She replied; continuing her work as did Zim.

"Oh."

"Anything else you want to say?" She asked; frowning.

"Yes." Zim replied. "My name is Zim. What might yours be?"

"Gaz." She replied.

Zim stared for a moment.

"Gaz..." He repeated. "You wouldn't happen to know Dib Membrane would you?"

Gaz turned to him in shock.

"How do you know my brother?" She asked suspiciously.

"Well, he's a friend of mine." Zim replied. "He's also an inmate."

"Oh." Gaz said.

"He also told me that your father was with you."

"He's in one of the other caves with many of the other jailbirds here."

"Do you think anyone I might know is there too?"

"I'm not sure."

"Hey! You to think you could maybe do a little less talking and a little more digging?" Came a new voice.

The two turned toward the voice. Zim and Gaz soon saw the unusual creature who had spoken. Zim knew then that it was a young male. He seemed to be around his early teens and had short cream colored fur. Honey colored fur covered his short yet thin muzzle and the tips of his long thin ears. He had short black hair; the bangs of which seemed to slightly hang in his face.

He wore a sapphire blue T-shirt and black pants. His feet were shoeless; which seemed a bit like paws. It was like nothing Zim had ever seen before; yet Gaz seemed to know him.

"Those guards won't be too happy if they find out we aren't getting the crystals they want."

"And who might I ask are you? And what you are?" Zim asked; after a moment.

"Oh. Name's Xane." The creature replied. "I'm an Alvemian."

"Oh." Zim said.

"I guess you know my bunkmate already." Xane stated.

"Yes." Zim replied.

"Well, since I told you my name, what's yours."

"Zim." The Irken answered; as they all continued digging; placing the found crystals in the track-car.

"Zim huh? That's an odd name." Xane stated. "Where you from?"

"Planet Irk. I'm an Irken."

"Well, that's a bit obvious."

"We should probably start working a bit faster because the guards coming back." Gaz interrupted.

Soon, the three of them went quiet and began to dig faster as to not bring attention to themselves. As they continued to dig for the crystals, the sky was soon dark and the digging was finally over.

The guards soon retrieved the prisoners from the caverns and led them back to their cells. Once out of the caves, Zim soon felt a blast of the air outside. Though the air was still scorching hot; it felt a bit better than where he had been the past few hours. They made their way down the mountain and headed toward the prison.

After what seemed to be forever, they soon stopped at the cell. As they unlatched the door, Dib; who had been waiting for the past few hours looked up in surprise to see the guards and Zim standing there. The guards soon opened the door and shoved Zim inside before slamming the door shut behind them. Zim got up off the floor as Dib got up from his spot and walked over to him.

"Zim! What happened?"

"They had me work in the mountain caverns." Zim replied; a bit exhausted. "I think I found your sister."

Dib's eyes grew wide.

"You did? You found Gaz?" He asked.

"Yes. She said that was her name. She also seemed a bit... Annoyed and irritated about something." Zim replied.

"Yep. That's _Gaz_ alright. So, is she okay? Was she hurt? Was Dad with her?" Dib continued to ask.

"Please! Enough! I can't answer every question at once!" Zim stated in defense.

"Sorry." Dib said; sheepishly. "I guess I got a little carried away."

"It's alright. I know you are worried about them." Zim replied; a bit more calm. "And yes she's fine; aside from being annoyed and wanting to punch someone."He added; murmuring.

Dib chuckled at this.

"And she said that your father was working somewhere in the other mines nearby." Zim stated. "She wasn't sure where."

"Well, At least I know that they're safe." Dib smiled. "I can only hope my friends are as well." Zim frowned.

"Zim, don't worry," Dib smiled; placing an assuring hand on his shoulder. "We'll find them."

Zim looked at him for a moment. After a moment, he smiled. Soon, he looked out the window. The day was long passed ending and night had already set in. Noticing this as well, Dib soon went to his spot on the bed and Zim took his spot on the floor.

It was now the end of a long day of hard work; though Zim knew there would be more that they would be put through. He soon went to sleep; unaware of how right he was.

**Not much happening in this chapter ^^; But hope that's okay for this chapter :( I'm hoping to get more of the story up soon :) PLEASE R&R! THANKS! :D:D**


	6. Chapter 6

The Darknest Hour

Part Six

Early in the morning, an alarm blared, causing Zim to wake up with a start. He sat up and looked around. Dib soon woke up afterwards; wondering what was causing all the noise.

"What's going on?" Dib said as he and Zim saw many of the Voltarian officers running down the hall, cursing at what might of happened.

"I don't know." Zim replied; seeing this continue on.

Then there was an explosion. Zim and Dib ran to the window to see what was happening. The mines had been rigged with explosives and it seemed that not all of them had gone off.

The Voltarians were digging frantically to find them and put them out. Soon, the last explosive was destroyed before it went off. The Voltarians were then relieved that the mines had not been destroyed; though they were now a bit unstable.

This worried Zim. With the mines being unstable now, there could be many deaths as a result from cave-ins and possibly other hidden explosives. Not only that, but the Voltarians were now enraged about who might have rigged the mines.

Zim could sense a bit of nervousness and fear as one of the officers, Sulfaite soon stopped at the door of the their cell and opened the door and walked inside.

"Irken Zim. Step forward." Said the Voltarian officer standing before them.

Dib stared in shock and fear as Zim obeyed and was arrested in a bruising grip.

"What are you doing!" Dib shouted.

Zim gasped in shock as Sulfaite strike Dib across the face; knocking him down. Dib let out a pained yelp as he fell to the floor; painfully placing his hand to his face.

Zim felt a tinge of anger and began to thrash around to hit the officer; but was struck hard across the face. Zim cried out in pain; holding his face with his hands.

"Such rebellion." The officer sneered; soon chuckling darkly. "We'll need to _fix_ that." He then began to drag Zim out of the cell and the cell door was swung shut and locked.

"Don't hurt him!" Dib shouted; running forward; grabbing onto the vertical bars of the cell door.

The Voltarian officer looked at the boy for a moment; but soon turned away. The Voltarian then twisted Zim's arm behind him and led him out of the prison. After what seemed to be an eternity, the soon reached where they needed to go.

"General Xeltare, here is the one you sent for. One of the Irkens around the mines before the incident." Sulfaite stated to the crimson scaled Voltarian standing there.

"Really now." Xeltare grinned turning to face them.

"We believe he might be in with the plan for other prisoners who had escaped."

"If this is so, be sure they will be found and killed on the spot."

"You can't do that!" Zim shouted.

"Oh can't I?" The General sneered. "Tie him down."

Sulfaite dragged Zim to a nearby metallic table and lifted him up forcing him to lie on it. Zim struggled to get free; though there was no hope for escape should he be able to break free of the Voltarian's harsh grip.

"You should keep still if you know what's good for you." Zim heard Sulfaite hiss as the Voltarian finished adjusting the straps.

"Now lets see if we can refresh that old memory of yours." General Xeltare said, grinning as he reached into the fireplace and pulled out burning red tongs. "Ready?"

Zim stared in horror as he saw the burning tongs. He then realized that Xeltare meant business. No answer did he have, but silence. Sulfaite ripped Zim's shirt from his body and stood back.

"You have five seconds to tell me everything you know about the escape you are planning."

"I don't know what you're- GAAAAAAAHHHHH!" The pain in his shoulder was unbearable.

He cried out in pain but soon opened his eyes to he realized that the hot iron had been removed a few seconds ago; though it still hurt as if it was there.

"Do you want to feel such pain again?" The General asked.

Zim growled at the question. He groaned as soon felt the weight of the General's heavy hand strike him across the face.

"You will answer me truthfully! Tell me what you know about the incident."

"I told you. I had nothing to do with it- GAAAHHHH! Quit it! I didn't know the mines had been rigged. I had been working the entire time!"

Zim tried to twist away; but it helped very little.

"I know that you're hiding something and I _will_ find out what it is." Said the General, almost conversationally after removing the hot iron from the Irken's chest.

"I'm not hiding anything! I have been working at the time before any of this had happened."

"You might think I you can fool me by such a stupid lie-"

"They are not lies!" Zim shouted; cutting him off.

He was rewarded with yet another cuff; but he continued on.

"I am telling you the absolute truth. I had no plans of rigging the mines and hadn't known of any escape."

"You're stupid cover-up might fool anyone else here; but I am no fool. Everyone else has known something."

"Well I'm not everyone, am I?"

"We will see about that."

The burning pain came again, directly below the preceding burn so the pain that had dulled in the latter started anew. Zim could not help from crying out again, but he refused to let himself beg for mercy.

Though the pain of the burns was making it hard for him to breathe, he refused to give in. He couldn't to let them break him.

"What were you planning during your shift in the mines?"

The burning pain came yet again, with the whole burning iron bar pressed against his side. Zim gave a tormented wail and writhed in his bonds.

"NO MORE, PLEASE!"

"I'll burn you until you answer me."

"I have told you over and over! I... know... NOTHING!"

The iron bar was lifted and placed back into the fireplace. Zim trembled, senses reeling with pain and nausea. Was it over? Were they satisfied? Not a chance.

"It seems I will have to take this to a new level."

With this he grabbed Zim's PAK and tore it from his body. Zim wailed an inhuman scream as an overwhelming pain took him over; his life clock appearing in his line of vision.

"If you do not answer me I will make sure that you will know the meaning of pain and will show you no mercy." General Xeltare said, his eyes gleaming evilly; digging his talons into Zim's shoulder; where the tongs had first burned him.

Zim flinched and tried to twist away. But the bonds still held him tightly. His time was now counting down from seven minutes.

"I will make you suffer." The General sneered.

Zim gave a growl in reply. General Xeltare struck the Irken across the face with his talons, even harder than before, leaving nail marks along with a quickly forming bruise. Zim didn't even bother to open his eyes; for he knew what was coming. But before the burning iron could touch his body again, General Xeltare was hailed by an officer.

"This had better be important, Ziron. I am in the middle of an interrogation."

"General, we have gathered the crystals for our secret weapon for world conquest."

"Excellent, Ziron. With the machine up and running; we will become the ultimate rulers of all the worlds. You, Graphite! Take the prisoner back to his cell. He is of no use to us except for hard labor."

Zim's straps were undone and he was lifted from the table. His shirt was pulled on over his burns and his PAK was shoved back on roughly and the time stopped at three minutes and forty-nine seconds. Zim's senses were reeling with nausea once again as he allowed himself to be dragged through the hall toward his cell.

They soon reached the cell and opened the door. Graphite shoved Zim in and he collapsed to the ground. The Voltarian then slammed and locked the door and walked back to his post.

"Zim!" Dib shouted as he ran to the young Irken's side as he tried to stand; but soon fell to the ground once more.

Dib gazed on in awe at the burns and cuts his friend had obtained. As he gently placed a hand on Zim's shoulder, Zim sucked in a sharp breath; clenching his teeth until the pain slowly ebbed away. Dib gazed at the wounds Zim had obtained.

"I didn't have the information they needed... So I was burned." Zim said finally; seeing the look of horror on Dib's face. "And removed my PAK; without which I wouldn't survive."

Dib's shock soon turned to anger.

"Those jerks!" Dib growled. "I swear they'll pay for doing this. I'm gonna-"

"No, Dib. We are in no condition to fight them head on." Zim said; cutting him off. "We will need a plan."

This caught Dib's attention.

"What type of plan?"

"I have gotten news that many of the others had escaped during the night and had rigged the mines to explode." Zim whispered; making sure only him and Dib could hear. "I have a feeling that they will be planning to free us as well."

Dib listened as Zim continued.

"So when it is time for me to be on my night shift tonight be sure to stay awake. They might come at anytime."

"What about you?"

"I'll be working in the mountain caverns and when they bring me back to the cell, I will wait for someone to come for me. It is not safe for us here."

"Are you sure about this, Zim?"

"We can only hope."

Dib took a moment to think. Soon, he nodded.

"I hope this works, Zim." Dib stated as he went and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Me too, Dib. Me too." Zim murmured.

Soon, he turned his gaze out the window; seeing it was getting already midday. It would be hours before night would fall. Zim could only hope that this plan would work.

**Um... Yeah ^^; I kinda got a little carried away ^^;^^; But anyways, I hope you're enjoying this story so far :D Also the part with his PAK i kinda got from the unwritten episde 'Ten Minutes to Doom.' :D I thought it would fit the story so I added is in there ^^; I'm hoping to get more of the story up soon :) PLEASE R&R! THANKS! :D:D**


	7. Chapter 7

The Darkest Hour

Part Seven

Time had passed by as the two of them waited for night to fall. Soon, the Voltarians arrived at their cell.

"Irken Zim. Step forward." Zim obeyed and was suddenly arrested in a bruising grip by two of the officers.

What one said next, caught them completely off guard.

"Due to the lack of prisoners from the escape that occurred, you will be transferred to the northern-side crystal mines in under order of General Xeltare. Resist and you shall be punished."

"What! NO!" Dib shouted as one of the Voltarians on the left of Zim twisted his arm painfully behind him; causing him to wince in agony.

"You can't do that!" Dib shouted; running forward to stop them; but was knocked to the floor.

"Shut up, you little runt!" One of the officers hissed.

Soon, Voltarians forced Zim to walk out of the cell as Dib got up from the floor and ran to the door as it was slammed shut and locked.

"Zim!" Dib cried out; grabbing onto the bars of the door.

Zim turned to look back at his friend who watched with anger and helplessness as they dragged him away. Zim gave him a look as if to say 'Everything will be fine.' He then mouthed "Stay awake". Dib soon nodded as he had a look of determination. A sudden blow to Zim's face sent stars pin-wheeling in and out of his vision.

"You're slowing us down, scum!"

They soon led Zim out of the prison it had already become nightfall; yet the flowing rivers of lava seemed to shimmer bright enough for them to see where they were headed.

They continued onward; heading in an entirely different direction as the mines and mountains. As they did so, Zim could see a gleam of red as rivers of lava snaked its way down the sides of a few of the mountains in the distance.

As they got closer toward them, Zim could see very fine bits of ash drifting down from above. Some of the ash seemed to begin to collect on the ground in sheets of grey. Zim looked on in shock as they stopped near a large black and crimson train resting on the set of black tracks.

He hung his head as he was led toward one of the cars as the ash continued its way to the ground around him. He was then thrust against it and his arms were shackled behind his back. Zim was then led into the car.

Looking up he saw many other prisoners that were also being transported. The door to the car slid shut and the train jolted slightly as it began on its way.(With the car being so small, there was really no need for guards to keep watch.) Zim looked around at the different prisoners accompanying him in the transport.

Many of them being other Irkens, humans, and creatures of other kinds. One in particular was an unusual creature Zim seemed to slightly recognize. It was a young male seeming to be around his early teens with short cream and honey colored fur.

He had a thin muzzle and long thin ears. He had short black hair; the bangs of which seemed to slightly hang in his face. He wore a sapphire blue T-shirt and black pants. His feet were shoeless; which seemed a bit like paws. It was Xane.

"Well, hiya Zim." He whispered; keeping his voice down.

Zim didn't reply to what Xane said.

"Well, it's nice to meet you too." The Alvemian replied sarcastically at the silence from the Irken.

"He's probably upset about what's been going on. I know I am." Stated a new voice; which Zim turned toward.

Sitting nearby was a young male Irken; yet younger than Zim. He was around his early teen years and had deep sapphire blue eyes. He was dressed in bright and deep blue with black pants and gloves along with black and silver boots. His PAK was a grey and blue.

"Well, aren't we all?" Xane asked back.

"How long until we reach the prison?" Zim asked finally.

"How should I know?" Xane questioned; hotly.

Zim jumped; staring back in shock.

"Sorry." Xane said finally; feeling a bit ashamed for his attitude.

"It's okay." Zim replied; a bit quiet.

"We don't really know when we'll actually get there." The blue eyed Irken said. "None of us have been there before."

"Oh." Zim replied. "My name's Saint, by the way." The blue eyed Irken stated.

"I'm Zim." Zim grinned. "Which you probably already know." He added; a bit sheepishly.

There was a moment of silence before someone spoke up.

"Since there what happened the past night, I've got a feeling that we might be in for a long hard time." Xane stated.

"Well, nothing we can do about it, right?" Asked a young human; which knew was a female. She had long blonde hair and wore a blue shirt and dark pants. "We'll just have to deal with it."

"That's not really helping, Jessica." Another young girl with blue hair huffed.

"Well, I wasn't asking you if it was, Sara!" Jessica snapped back.

As the two of them began to argue, Zim soon turned and looked at the metallic wall(since there weren't any windows). He began to think of what he would do now. With his two best friends kept locked up somewhere near the mines; not knowing where and his human friend locked up many miles away from where he and the others were heading, he wondered if he would ever see them again.

"You okay, buddy?" He heard coming from beside him; causing Zim to suddenly snap back to reality.

He turned to see Xane looking back; a bit worried; but more confused.

"My friends are somewhere in the prison but I don't know where and if I'll ever see them again." There was a moment of silence before anyone spoke up.

"Hey," Xane began; getting Zim's attention. "Don't worry, we'll get through this."

The young Irken could see a look of sympathy on Xane's face.

"Thank you." Zim grinned slightly.

"Don't mention it." Xane replied.

"I hope they're okay." Zim frowned.

"I'm sure they'll be fine." Xane said.

Just then, the car suddenly jolted as it soon slowed to a halt. The door to the car slid open with a sharp scraping noise; coated with a thin layer of ash that had fallen along the way down the track. One by one, the guards viciously took hold of a captive and began to lead them toward their new prison cells.

**I kinda had to cut the ending of this part short because I'm kinda stuck ^^; And I know that some of the parts in my story were a bit rushed and I do appologise :( I had been stuck for a lot of the story -_-; Anyways, I hope you're enjoying my story :D I'****m hoping to get more of the story up soon :) PLEASE R&R! THANKS! :D:D**

**PS- And just to clarify, the reason why I had them use a train to transport them to the other part of the prison was that since it's in the mountains, there would be nowhere for them to land their ship, since it's really big and bulky :) And also, since it's so high in the mountains, that some of their technology is limited :D Just to let you know  
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	8. Chapter 8

The Darknest Hour

Part Eight

As they continued their way toward the prison, Zim and the others soon gazed at the sight of where they had been taken. Tall jagged cliffs and bluffs; which had been formed and worn by the wind and lava flows nearly surrounded them. Fine bits of ash continued to fall from the now brighter sky; indicating that it was now early morning.

The falling ash soon coated everyone with a thin layer of grey. Fresh lava flows were scattered throughout the area and gleamed a bright orange; signifying just how hot it was. The Voltarians soon led them into one of the caverns of the mountains.

As they continued their way through, Zim caught sight of many other prisoners digging through the molten rock; many bits of the walls around them still fresh with flowing lava. Zim turned his gaze to the front as they were led out of the tunnel; entering another somewhat larger room.

Zim's eyes grew wide at the sight before him. The cavern walls towered over them twenty feet. Gazing around, Zim soon saw that the ground was becoming more narrow and seemed to drop off at the side into a small lake of boiling magma; hot steam filling the room; making the heat unbearable.

As they went on, the lava seemed to bathe Zim's bright emerald skin in a bright crimson glow. Just as Zim took another step, some of the trail soon gave way; causing him to stop in shock and fear as bits of rock crumbled into the lava below; clattering lightly as it made its way down.

"Keep moving, pest!" Growled the officer; shoving Zim forward to make him keep walking. Zim did as he was told and began to continue walking. Up above Zim could see many black sets of train tracks running throughout the cave; track cars filled with crystals going back and forth from cavern to cavern; the wheels of them rocking slightly against the tracks.

Before long, they reached the end of the cave room and into another tunnel. Onyx black furnaces decorated many places in the tunnel; small ponds of lava scattered about. Voltarians were at work stoking the fires to create more of their weapons; track cars filled with fuel and crystals passing by.

After what seemed forever, they reached a another cave; which was larger than the others and was filled with smaller cavers with metallic bars stretching from the ceilings of them to the floor; much like a prison cell was built. It was then that Zim realized that this was the prison they had been mentioning.

Due to the cells being mostly made of rock, there were no windows to gaze out of. The Voltarians soon stopped at one of the cells. After opening the door, they unshackled Zim and shoved the young Irken inside. Zim fell to the floor as the guards slammed the door shut; causing small fragments of rock to fall to the ground.

Zim groaned in pain from his burns that were still healing and would possibly leave behind scars. After a moment, he soon got to his feet and looked out of the bars of the cell; scanning the area. The entire room outside was made of rock; many connecting tunnels were scattered throughout the room.

Near the middle were many large pumping units and train tracks running through many of the tunnels. Zim took one last look around. Soon, he sighed and hung his head. Turning around he made his to the back of the cell. He took a seat on the rocky floor; resting himself against one of the cavern walls.

The young Irken gazed up the stone ceiling; thinking of what he should do. If he should be able to escape, he would not be able to face an entire assembly of guards alone. Even if he had been able to make it out of the prison, he wouldn't make it past the Voltarians.

As Zim continued to think, he could soon feel exhaustion beginning to take him over. Turning his face toward the floor, Zim's eyes began to close; his vision blurring as he slowly drifted off to sleep. Not too long after, Zim heard movement from outside the cell; which he paid no mind to. The opening of his cell door caused him to glance up sharply.

"Enjoying your little nap, prisoner?" Sneered General Xeltare.

Zim didn't answer; but turned away. This move caused the General to scowl.

"Look me in the eyes while I am speaking to you." The General growled.

Zim kept his eyes gaze at the floor.

"No." He grunted.

The General's scowled deepened.

"Still full of spirit." He commented.

With a deft motion, General Xeltare's talons snaked out and yanked Zim upright by the collar so they were face to face.

"Seems we'll need to fix that." The General stated; grinning evilly. Zim's glare was the reply he got.

The General let go of Zim, and weakened, the Irken slipped to the floor.

"I hope you enjoy your stay here." General Xeltare leered before walking out the door.

After doing so, the Voltarians accompanying the General walked out of the cell; slamming the barred door behind them. Zim sat where he was. Soon, he hung his head; looking solemnly at the floor. He hoped Dib was okay; as well as Tak and Skooge.

Zim wondered what would happen to them and if they would ever see each other again. An hour later, he heard movement from outside his cell once more. Zim yelped in pain as he suddenly felt something hard strike his side. He looked up sharply to see a Voltarian officer standing over him.

"Get up, you piece of trash!" He growled; kicking Zim again.

Zim groaned in agony as he slowly rose to his feet. The officer grabbed Zim by the arm and twisted it behind him as the young Irken was escorted out of his cell. The officer led Zim through one of the tunnels near the prison; many other prisoners following behind by their captors.

The vapors emitting from the walls made the air of the entire cavern barely breathable and excruciatingly unbearable. The only source of light was the gleam from the lava within the large and small cracks in the floor of the cave; yet Zim could still see many other prisoners digging through the molten rock.

The officers soon shackled them together and Zim began his digging to find more of the gleaming crystals. Though exhausted, Zim refused to stop digging. His vision was beginning to blur. Zim shook his head to rid the dizziness that was overcoming him and continued to dig.

As this continued, Zim was unaware of how long it had been; for there would be no way to tell without having any sky to see. After many hours, the guards soon came to retrieved the prisoners; for the digging was finally over. The Voltarians unshackled them and began to take them back to their cells.

Once they reached his cell, Zim was flung inside, and he landed in a heap on the hard stone floor as the officers slammed the door. Zim groaned in agony at his sore joints and irritated burns. Painfully he drew himself to his hands and knees and crawled toward the back of his cell. He laid down on his side, trying to ignore the burning pain in his body. Zim, weary beyond endurance, soon slipped into a fitful, dreamless sleep.

**I'm quite ****satisfied**** about how this part came out :) Sorry for the wait, I had to put a lot of detail in ^^; Anyways, I hope to get more up soon :) I'll keep working on this until it's done... Or can't finish ^^; Which I hope I DO finish XS Anways, I**** hope you're enjoying my story :D And want to know what you all think :D**** PLEASE R&R! THANKS! :D:D**


	9. Chapter 9

The Darknest Hour

Part Nine

Zim was soon awake; hissing in pain as a pair of hands shook him awake. He groaned; daring not to look up. _'What now?'_ Zim thought, still a bit tired.

"Come on, we haven't got all night."

Zim looked up; wincing as pain throbbed throughout him as he tried to move.

"Wha?" He asked dryly.

What he saw, caught him off guard. He was shocked to find an unusual creature; yet he recognized it. It was a young female seeming to be no older than fifteen years. She had short cream and honey colored fur.

Her muzzle was thin a bit short and long thin ears. She had long black hair; which reached slightly past her shoulders. She wore a bright pink T-shirt and black pants. Her feet were shoeless; which seemed a bit like paws.

"Come on, we're here to get you out of here." Zim began to get up.

"Name's Fae." The Alvemian said; stooping down beside him. "Here; Let me help you." She said; pulling Zim to his feet.

"How did you find me?" Asked the Irken; confused.

"Some kid- Um... Dib I think- told us about you. But there's no time to explain right now. So, c'mon! We gotta free the others."

"Dib..? Dib's with you?" Zim asked; stunned by this.

"Yeah, he and the others are waiting for us in the hidden caves." Fae replied; pulling him along.

She peeked out from behind a corner. Once she saw it was clear, she motioned Zim to follow.

"We have to free the others." Fae whispered; handing Zim a small tool he could use to unlock the cell doors.

Zim nodded and ran to one of the cells and worked at getting it open. After some effort, get it open and moved onto the next. Fae was doing the same with many of the other cells and soon they were all open. They were now free.

"Okay everybody, we're going to get you guys to safety. Just follow our lead."

"You better know what you're doing." The eleven year old girl with magenta purple hair growled; crossing her arms.

By these words, Zim then realized it was Gaz who had spoken.

"Trust me." Fae replied.

The group of prisoners quietly made their way through the large room. They came to one of the connecting tunnels. About half-way through the tunnel, Fae motioned them to stop. As they did so, Fae rushed ahead to scout. She came back; not to happy.

"Crap! There are twenty Voltarian guards up ahead and their coming this way." She told them.

"So now what?" Zim asked.

Fae glanced around trying to think.

"Zim you'll have to take everyone to safety-" The sound of an alarm around them and angry voices ahead soon cut her off.

"Double crap! They must know we're here." Fae frowned.

"What'll we do?" Asked one of the prisoners. "We'll have to fight." Said another.

"If we don't, they'll hunt us to no end." One of the Irken prisoners said; Zim easily recognized as being Saint.

"And if we defeat them, we'll get some weapons to protect ourselves with." Said another prisoner.

"Well said, friend. Let's fight!" Cried another prisoner.

The male and female prisoners of different planets in good condition left the children, elderly, and injured in the safety of the tunnel under the watchful eyes of Zim and a few teen prisoners as many others rushed forward, swiftly and deadly their focused vengeance on the oncoming enemies.

After many moments of fighting, a silence soon filled the caverns; leaving only the alarm that continued to sound. Gathering weapons and tending to the injuries of other prisoners who had fallen in the fight, they soon made their way through the now empty tunnel.

"We have to hurry," Fae stated. "There'll probably be reinforcements coming for us."

With that said, the group of prisoners made their way through the tunnel. After many long moments, they came to a halt.

"What is it?" Zim whispered; confused.

"This is it." Fae replied; soon spying a large boulder resting against the wall.

"Wha?" Zim asked.

"Help me push." Fae said; trying to move the boulder.

Zim; still confused by this, soon nodded and helped her move the rock aside. After some effort, the rock was away from the wall; revealing a dimly lit tunnel.

"Everyone inside, hurry." Fae ordered.

Everyone did as they were told and made their way inside secret passageway. Zim saw Fae take one last look around before she followed behind them and with Zim's help was able to push the boulder back into place; concealing the entrance from anyone outside the passage.

**This part is kinda short and a bit rushed ^^; But I still like how it turned out**** :) Sorry for the wait, I had to think of how it should go ^^; Anyways, I hope to get more up soon :) I'll keep plugging away at it until it's done :D Anways, I**** hope you're enjoying my story :D And want to know what you all think :D**** PLEASE R&R! THANKS! :D:D**


	10. Chapter 10

The Darknest Hour

Part Ten

The only sounds that could be heard were the echoes of footsteps that ricocheted off the stone walls around them as the prisoners continued their way through the dimly lit tunnel. All the while, Zim continued to wonder where they were headed. His thoughts were soon interrupted as he saw everyone come to a halt.

"What's going on?" He heard someone ask as others whispered and murmured amongst themselves.

"We're at the dividing passageways that will lead to the secret caves." Fae told them. "Which means, it will be probably be easier to go in groups of two. This way, we will be able to keep track and we won't get lost in the tunnels."

The prisoners kept their complete attention to the young Alvemian speaking.

"I'll need someone to lead the younger, older, and injured prisoners to safety." Fae said.

"I will." Came a new voice from the crowd of prisoners as they stepped forward.

Zim then got a good look at the one who had volunteered. Though it was dark within the tunnel, Zim could tell it was a female. She had ivory colored skin and looked to be no older than fourteen or fifteen years.

She was dressed in a deep bluish violet long-sleeved shirt and faded blue jeans along with a pair of white shoes; which are stained black from the constant collection of ash and soot. She had coffee brown hair; which reached past her shoulders. Her chocolate brown eyes seemed to glow radiantly within the dimly lit tunnel.

"Okay, the safest way is to take the right tunnel. Me and the others will take the one on left." Fae responded. "We'll meet you there."

The girl nodded and turned to the other prisoners.

"Okay everybody, I'll be taking you guys down this way." She told them. "Stay close so we don't get lost."

And soon, they began their way down the right passage as the others went into the other direction. Zim followed behind the other injured and younger prisoners; due to the fact that he was still in a bit of pain after what had happened for the past few days. He quickly made his way up to the leader of the group; trying his best to keep up with her fast pace.

"I believe I did not catch what your name was." Zim stated.

The young girl turned toward him; slowing her pace so to not trip or collide with a wall of the tunnel.

"Oh, sorry. My name is Elora Skye." She replied. "And you are?"

"Zim." He replied. "I'm from planet Irk." He then said; after turning his attention to where he was going.

Elora soon did the same before turning back and smiling.

"Pleased to meet you." She replied. After many moments of walking, they soon reached the end of the tunnel.

Zim soon stopped in awe at the sight. Many large neon blue and purple crystals protruding from the walls in many places; as well as the ceiling. As he gazed up at the crystals, they seemed to cast a luminous glow of their own; dimly lighting the enormous room.

After a long moment, he began to make his way down a trail; following behind Elora who led the way. Zim could soon see many other prisoners; who had been rescued from their cells. The young Irken continued to gaze around for any sign of someone he might know. As he continued his search, two prisoners in particular soon caught his attention. They were both Irken.

As Zim made his way closer, he could soon make out the distinct appearances. The first was young a male with the same colored eyes as Zim; yet a bit brighter in shade. Though he was a bit more stout and seemed a bit shorter than Zim, he was near the same age.

The second of the two was a young female. She was dressed in a deep purple dress with black boots and gloves and had deep violet eyes and had a somewhat strange device attached to the side of her face. _'Could it be them?'_ He wondered. The two Irkens soon turned in his direction; staring in awe at what stood before them. All at once their expression changed from complete shock to pure joy.

"Zim!" They cried. "Skooge! Tak!" Zim called back; equally in joy of seeing them again.

Though still in pain, Zim ran to meet with them once more; embracing them in pure joy of seeing them again. Zim could then see how much the two of them had gone through. Skooge had a few bad scratches; but otherwise way alright. Tak had many bruises that decorated her face.

Zim told them everything that had happened as he saw the look of horror on their faces. While doing so, Zim then turned his attention to another part of the room where groups of other prisoners were gathered and happily sharing their joy of being reunited with one another.

"I'm glad you guys are alright." Zim said finally; turning back to his two best friends.

Suddenly, another voice rang out. Zim turned in the direction of his name being said. To his surprise he saw a young boy with ivory colored skin that was no older than twelve or thirteen years.

He was dressed in black with a blue shirt beneath with what seemed to be a grey neutral type of face on the front. He also had black hair; which seemed to be in a scythe type of style along with a large pair of glasses. Zim's eyes grew wide at this.

"Dib!" Zim shouted. The two ran forward; Dib nearly knocking Zim over; but luckily didn't as they embraced each other.

"I was worried, Zim." Dib frowned. "I thought I'd never see you again."

Zim smiled. "Well, I guess you thought wrong." He replied.

Dib smiled.

"Oh, Dib. I have a couple friends I want you to meet." Zim stated; turning toward Tak and Skooge; who were wondering what was going on. "Tak, Skooge; this is Dib. Dib; Tak and Skooge."

Dib gazed at them for a moment; as did Tak and Skooge.

"It's nice to meet you." Skooge smiled; shaking Dib's hand.

Dib smiled and Skooge soon let go of his hand. Dib then turned to Tak; who took a moment.

"Pleasure." She said finally; shaking Dib's hand as well.

"Hey! Zim!" Came a familiar voice from nearby.

Zim and the others turned to see who the voice belonged to. It was a young male seeming to be around his early teens with short cream and honey colored fur. A thin muzzle and long thin ears. He had short black hair; the bangs of which seemed to slightly hang in his face. He wore a sapphire blue T-shirt and black pants. His feet were shoeless; which seemed a bit like paws.

"Xane." Zim grinned.

"Great to see you found your friends finally." Xane smirked.

"Yes. It is."

Just then, another voice came from behind them; not calling to them but to Xane. The young Alvemian and the others turned to see another; yet older Alvemian coming toward them; which Zim new was Fae. Fae ran toward them; pulling Xane into a big hug.

"I missed you, Bro." She smiled.

"I'm glad to see you too, Fae." Xane smiled back. "We're going to need to find a way outta here."

"Don't worry, we've got a plan." Fae replied. "But right now, you guys should rest. We'll be leaving in a few hours."

With that said, Fae soon left to check on the other prisoners.

Zim and the others gazed on in shock.

"I didn't know you had a sister." Zim stated finally; as he and the others looked on at what had happened.

Xane frowned; turning around.

"You never _asked_ me." He replied matter-factly; almost rudely; causing Zim to make a face.

"He shouldn't _need_ to ask." Tak stated; hotly. "Well, sorry for saying what's true." Xane shot back.

"Xane! Tak!" Dib piped up. "Lets not fight right now." Tak and Xane turned away from each other; both not very fond of the other's attitude. "Let's just relax and make the most of it.

"Fine." Xane huffed.

"As you wish." Tak grunted.

Zim and Dib sighed. They knew this was going to be a long night.

**This part is kinda short and a bit rushed ^^; But I still kinda like how it turned out**** :) Sorry for the really long wait, I was super busy and stuff ^^; Anyways, I'll try to get more up soon :) I'll keep going until it's done :D Anways, I**** hope you're enjoying my story :D And want to know what you all think :D**** PLEASE R&R! THANKS! :D:D**


	11. Chapter 11

The Darknest Hour

Part Eleven

Time had come and gone since Zim and the others had made it to the secret caverns. Though there was still a bit of tension in the air, everyone was a bit more relaxed and were able to rest from the constant and exhausting work they had to go through. Within that time, Dib and Gaz were soon reunited again. It wasn't long after this that the found their father. Zim then had a face to face meeting as Dib introduced him to his father.

"Hello there." He had said; a smile in his voice; since Zim could not see his face properly; due to the fact that the man was wearing goggles and the collar of his coat slightly concealed his face. "I am known as Professor Matthew Membrane. I am known to everyone of Earth for my excellent study of science."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Professor." Zim grinned back.

He soon introduced his friends Tak and Skooge to the well known professor of Earth. Xane had also made himself known shortly afterwards. Everyone had then started a short conversation on how they met and soon they had gone their separate ways; hoping to relax a bit before they were to continue their escape. The Professor had taken that moment to check on and take care of the injured and elderly of the prisoners.

Back in the present, Zim looked over from where he now sat; resting against the nearby wall. A few feet away, Zim could see Tak, Skooge, and Dib having a conversation about what they had been through. As the young Irken continued to watch, he began to think of how relieved he was to finally see them again; though he hoped they would all soon form a plan to escape this nightmare they had been unwillingly trapped in.

It wasn't long that a new thought came to his mind. _'What had happened to those left behind?'_ He wondered. _'Had they survived the attack?'_ He gazed up at the ceiling as he continued his thoughts. Would the remaining Irkens make it to safety before the Voltarians found them?

Zim slumped back; relaxing himself more against the stony wall. He continued to wonder what had become of those who had or possibly survived the attack on Irk. _'And were the Tallests with them as well?'_ He asked in his mind.

"Zim!" Came a sudden voice; snapping the young Irken back to reality. Zim turned his attention to where the voice came from. To his surprise he saw Xane staring back at him.

"What do you want, Xane?" Zim asked frowning; a bit upset by the sudden interruption of his thoughts.

"Huh. I just came to see how you were doing is all." Xane replied; taken aback by Zim's attitude. "By the way, I was just talking to some of the others and they said that the Voltarians were coming but they still might not find us; since this is a secret cave and they hardly ever come into these caves anyways."

"The Voltarians are coming?" Zim asked in horror; jumping up and wincing at the sudden pain in his body. "And what do you mean by 'hardly ever!' That means they might actually be coming here this moment!"

"Hey, would you calm down? God, you're awfully tense. I was just saying what they told me. No need to be so stressed out about it." The young Alvemian scowl; crossing his arms.

"Well, he has been through much more then you probably have so he has a right to be!" Tak retorted; cutting into the conversation.

"Excuse me, we were in the middle of a conversation here." Xane snapped; turning toward the young She-Irken.

"Well, I'm joining it." Tak stated hotly. "What gives you the right to tell others how they should feel? He has been through things much worse than you could have ever think of! So you have no right to say that to him!"

"Hey! I was just making conversation, alright!"

Tak and Xane continued this while Zim, Dib, and Skooge looked on in shock. They were soon interrupted as a sudden jolt shook the room around them; causing little pebbles to fall from the ceiling. Everyone went quiet; soft murmurs and whispers being exchanged among the prisoners. It was then that they could hear shouts coming from behind one of the walls.

At that moment, They soon saw a young girl with ivory colored skin and looked to be no older than fourteen or fifteen years coming toward them; with a few others following behind her. The girl was dressed in a deep bluish violet long-sleeved shirt and faded blue jeans along with a pair of white shoes; which are stained black from the constant collection of ash and soot.

She had coffee brown hair; which reached past her shoulders. Her chocolate brown eyes were filled with fear at what was happening. It was then that Zim recognized her as being Elora. Elora slowed her pace; nearly tripping over the ridged stony ground beneath her. She slowed to a stop; soon resting herself with her and on her knees. The others soon did the same and tried to catch their breath. After a few moments, Elora soon caught her breath and glanced up.

"The Voltarians are coming!" She said finally; still a bit out of breath from running through the large room. "They're coming through another tunnel and their blowing their way through the wall." She told them; still panting slightly.

An uneasy feeling rose inside Zim as he took in the news. If the Voltarians found them, Then Xeltare would personally order the guards to take them out with no warning to any of them. The young Irken glanced around at the worried looks upon the others' faces. Zim had just found his friends again. He didn't want anything to happen to them now and none of them or anyone else for that matter should suffer anymore than they already have.

"What is our plan?" Zim asked finally.

It wasn't long that everyone else had soon gathered around them and were ready to hear what needed to be said. Fae was the first to speak up.

"The Voltarians are heading this way." She told them.

"We'll need to split up and so it will be harder for them to find all of us." Elora added.

"We'll need to have a group take the young, injured, and elderly to safety; like we had before." "Anyone who is still able to fight will take care of the guards so the others can escape." Fae concluded.

One of the prisoners stepped forward.

"I will take them to safety." The prisoner said; which Zim soon easily recognized as being the Professor.

"Okay, there are a few track tunnels that lead down the mountain so we will be taking those tunnels and heading down the mountain." Fae stated.

Professor Membrane nodded and with some of the other prisoners, gathered the young, injured, and elderly and headed down one of the dimly lit tunnels; leading the way through the dark passage. Once the last had made it through, Fae soon turned to the others who were able to fight.

"Alright everyone, they'll probably be coming at anytime so get ready."

"So how many do you think there'll be?" Someone asked; which Zim turned to see a familiar eleven year old girl with magenta purple hair standing there with her hands on her hips.

"Gaz?" Dib said in shock. "What're you doing here? You need to go with Dad."

"I can take care of myself." Gaz growled; crossing her arms.

Fae was about to speak up again; when, another jolt shook the room as a muffled explosion echoed from behind one of the walls. They all stared in awe at the sudden blast. Then all at once, large and small fragments of stone exploded out from the wall.

Zim and the others stared in horror as the smoke began to clear. There stood the Voltarians; evil and menacing glares flashing through their eyes. Zim then knew that this may not only be a fight for freedom, but a fight for survival.

**A little bit of tension has been astablished XD Anyways, this part is kinda short and a little bit rushed ^^; But I still hope you like how it turned out** :) And** I know I hadn't really had that much happening with Prof. Membrane ^^; But he's still kind of in there though :) And also, I actually made up his first name ^^; I just thought that Matthew fit ^^; So I just put it in there XD ****Sorry for the really long wait, I had a writer's block and wasn't really that into it for a while ^^; But I'm starting to get back into it again :) Anyways, I'll try to get more up soon ****:)**** PLEASE R&R! :D THANKS! :D:D**


	12. Chapter 12

The Darknest Hour

Part Twelve

Zim stared in awe as he and the others stood their ground. Nearly twenty or so Voltarian guards now stood where there was once a stone wall. Zim took a quick glance at the others who stood near him ready to fight.

Counting himself, Dib, Skooge, Tak, Elora, Xane, Fae, and Gaz; as well as many others, Zim realized they maybe outnumbered. Nevertheless, he knew they had come too far to lose their chance for freedom. One of the guards; Sulfaite, sneered as he turned to his fellow officers.

"Take them." He growled.

At this, the Voltarians charged into an attack! Zim and the others did the same; having weapons of their own that they had seized from the downed officers they had fought before coming to the secret caves.

The sound of lasers, hits, and blows filled the cave as they continued what seemed to be becoming an endless battle. As this continued, the team's began to become effortless against the Voltarians as many of them became injured during the battle.

Zim was suddenly knocked to the ground! The young Irken gazed up in shock and fear as one of the Voltarians loomed over him. He sneered as he got ready to strike him once more. Just as the officer was about to attack; a sudden figure rushed forward and knocked him away; causing the guard to hit his head a bit hard on the ground. Zim's eyes grew wide in shock. There stood Elora glaring angrily at the downed officer.

"Are you okay, Zim?" She asked; helping him up.

"Yes." Zim replied. "Thank you."

They both turned as more of the officers were coming their way.

"You're welcome." Elora replied, as they both dodged an attack.

The battle continued when suddenly, the ground began to shake once again; small bits of the ceiling making their way down from above.

"Guys, I think we should get outta here!" Xane shouted as more bits of the room began to fall.

"For once I agree," Tak replied; before turning to the others. "Let's move!"

At this, Zim and the others round up those who had been injured in the battle and made a run for one of the nearby tunnels. Large fragments of the crystals above began to crash to the floor as everyone fled the scene; the Voltarians following in hot pursuit.

The sounds of the prisoners footsteps mixed with the angry shouts of the guards ricocheted off the stone walls as the quakes continued. After getting far enough ahead, they all soon come to a halt to catch their breath.

"What's going on?" Dib asked; confused.

"We're going to have to split into groups of two." Elora replied. "Someone has to take the ones who are hurt out of here. We can't risk them being hurt anymore than they already are."

"I'll do it." Fae said; stepping forward. "I'll take them to safety while you guys take care of the guards."

"I'll go too," Tak replied. "You may need some help along the way."

"Okay, while Fae and Tak help the others escape, we'll stay behind and fight the guards when they come after us." Elora said.

"There're a lot of tunnels up ahead. There are some train tracks that look like they might lead down the mountains. Just follow the track and it'll take you through the caves." Someone said.

Zim turned toward the one who had spoken. To his surprise, he saw a young female Irken; possibly in her mid teens. She wore a bright violet dress; which seemed to have an Irken symbol on the front along with a grey and violet PAK and black gloves.

Her boots were a deep silver with brighter silver on the toes of them; along with a zipper-like fashion on them. Thin, white straps were fastened in an X on both boots. Her eyes; which were a radiant silvery bluish purple, seemed to glow in the dimly lit room.

"Teela." Zim said finally.

"Zim." She replied.

"How do you know about the caves?" Dib then asked.

"After being taken here after the mines were rigged, I was forced to work in one of the mines."

"This had better work." Gaz grunted; crossing her arms; wincing slightly as she grabbed at the pain in her side.

"Gaz!" Dib cried out; completely concerned.

"I'm fine!" Gaz replied. "I'm just kinda sore." She soon winced again.

"Gaz, you should go with Fae and Tak. They'll get you outta here." Dib replied.

"Dib is right," Zim stated; frowning. "They know the way out."

Gaz didn't answer but soon sighed; aggravated.

"I... Guess I'll go with them then." She grunted; stubbornly.

Dib smiled and nodded.

"And don't worry, we'll take care of the guards." He replied. "We'll meet up with you guys later."

Gaz nodded and soon began to leave; but soon stopped.

"Oh. Dib? If you die, I'll kill you." She stated finally; before leaving with the others down the passageway. Zim stared as he watched her and the others leave.

"Don't worry," Dib said; seeing Zim's worried expression. "She's just nervous about what's going on."

Zim turned to face his friend; with an odd look on his face. Soon, he shook it off.

"Here, you might need these." Teela stated; placing some small explosives in Zim's hands. "But use them only when they are needed.

Before Zim could say anything, Teela gave him a quick hug and took off after the others. Zim watched them leave. Turning, he saw Dib give him a smug look; which Zim reflected a dirty look in return.

"I hope Tak will be alright." Zim heard someone say.

Turning, he saw the Skooge watching where the others had gone; his face twisted with a look of concern.

"I'm sure she'll be fine, Skooge." Dib replied for Zim; who was equally as worried.

Before anything else could be said, the sound of angry voices in the distance grew louder and louder as the Voltarians came closer and closer toward them. As the first few officers came into view, everyone got ready to fight but soon looked on in horror as many more Voltarians began to join them. Zim then knew they would not win in a battle of five against thirteen.

Taking a step back, Zim then had an idea. Taking one of the explosives Teela had given him, and with all his strength, Zim threw the small object at a somewhat unstable spot in the ceiling. As it hit the stone, the explosive burst into fiery bits as bits of the ceiling came crashing down on some of the officers.

"Now's our chance!" Elora shouted; leading the way down the passage as the officers struggled to get free of the stony rubble.

Zim and the others continued to run as the Voltarians soon broke free and followed them in hot pursuit. They followed the tunnels until they suddenly came to a halt. Out before them was a large stone overpass; which seemed suspended above a lake of boiling magma. Staring in awe, Zim then quickly turned to where they had come to see the Voltarians hot on their trail. Turning back to the others, he could see the looks of horror on their faces.

"It's our only chance!" Zim said.

"Then, we've gotta hurry!" Elora replied.

At this being said, everyone began to make their way across the stony bridge. Zim's eyes grew wide at the sight before him. The cavern walls towered over them nearly twenty feet. The path seemed to become more narrow the further the progressed. Hot steam seemed to fill the room; making the heat unbearable. As they went on, the lava seemed to bathe everything in a bright crimson glow.

Just as Zim took another step, some of the trail soon gave way; causing him to stop in shock and fear as bits of rock crumbled into the lava below; clattering lightly as it made its way down. Zim screamed in shock as his foot sank with the crumbling rock; causing him to nearly lose his balance. Just as he was about to fall, he soon felt something grab him by the arm; pulling him back to safety. Zim turned in shock to see Dib keeping hold of his arm.

"Are you okay?" Dib asked; a bit concerned.

"Yes." Zim replied."Thanks, Dib." Dib smiled.

Zim reflected the smile but soon frowned at the sight of the Voltarians coming for them. They soon began to hurry across the bridge once more. It wasn't long that they reached the end of the bridge; which the stopped to catch their breath. Turning around, Zim and the others could see the Voltarians closing in on them. Zim stared in awe and panic as he tried to think of what to do. It was then that another idea formed in Zim's mind; causing him to smile.

"You shall not pass this point, you Voltarian jerks!" Zim screamed as he threw other one of the explosives he had been carrying.

As it hit the stone, the explosive burst into fiery bits as it contact with a weak sot in the stone bridge and it soon began to crumble beneath the officers' feet. Without warning, the stony overpass began to collapse into the magma lake below; taking many of the Voltarians with it as it fell. The remaining guards ran back to the safety of the cavern they had come from.

From the safety of more stable ground, Zim grinned with satisfaction as the Voltarians retreated. But soon began to frown as a soft rumble became louder as a small crack; which had began to form in the floor soon began to grow larger as it made its way up one of the walls.

As this continued, they all soon began to feel the ground beginning to quake beneath their feet. To Zim's and everyone else's utmost horror, the ceiling above them began to plummet toward the ground.

"_Run_ for it!" Zim shouted.

At this everyone began to sprint down the path as the ceiling came crashing down behind them; bit of the floor crumbling at the sudden impact. The five of them continued to run from fear of being crushed if they had so much as slowed their pace.

Up ahead, they could see a tunnel. As they reached it, they could see the ceiling above. The five of them soon made it inside the entrance just as the rest of the ceiling fell; concealing the tunnel with a pile of rubble.

**CLIFF HANGER! D:D: Sorry this took forever ^^; I had been really busy with classes so I haven'****t been able to update :( Anyways, this part might've been a little bit rushed ^^; But I still hope you like how it turned out** :) And also, I'd like to thank Haku1013 for inspiring me to write this part :D Thanks so much :D ******Anyways, I'll try to get more up soon ****:)**** PLEASE R&R! :D THANKS! :D:D**

**PS- There's a 'Lord of the Rings' Reference in case you were wondering about this part**


	13. Chapter 13

The Darknest Hour

Part Thirteen

Zim groaned and coughed as the dust around him began to die down. After a few moments, he staggered to his hands and knees. He shook his head to rid himself of the dizziness before looking up to check his surroundings. It wasn't long that he could soon make out the sight of figures within the dim tunnel; which was lit by a few of the lava flows within it.

"Is everyone okay?" He heard someone ask; causing him to turn toward the voice.

Zim could see the others were supporting themselves against the wall of the tunnel as they answered back to Skooge who had asked the question. Many of them having many cuts and several awful bruises; but were otherwise okay. The young Irken felt relieved to see the others were alright.

Just then, an uneasy feeling rose within him as he realized something. Dib hadn't answered and wasn't anywhere to be seen. It was then that he heard a faint cough from behind him. Turning in surprise, he soon pinpointed where it came from.

"Dib?" He called; looking toward where they had come in.

What he saw, caused him to look on in shock. Dib was on the ground; not moving once.

"Dib!" Zim shouted and quickly got to his feet; causing the dizziness to slightly return.

Zim staggered back for a moment but soon rushed to his friend's side. Stopping beside him, Zim stared in awe at the sight before him. Dib laid where he was; nearly buried beneath the rubble. Zim fell to his knees as he continued to panic on how this could've happened.

It was then that Zim remembered that he had felt a shove from behind him before the ceiling had given way. It was then that Zim noticed Dib's arms outstretched and his head resting to the side as the rocks covered him at the waist down. That was when Zim realized Dib was the one who had shoved him clear of the cave in.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, Zim got to work digging through the rubble; desperate to free his friend. It wasn't long that everyone else did the same and began to dig through the debris. After a few moments, Dib was pulled free from the crumbled wall of rocks and rested him gently on the ground.

Everyone soon stood back as they took in the damage that had been done. Dib's clothes were tattered and he had many bruises. Dib's slightly cracked glasses were miraculously still in place. Zim soon sat beside him; a look of sadness on his face. The others watched this as well; sorrow and regret in their eyes.

"Dib?" Zim said finally; not getting a reply.

Zim gazed at him solemnly.

"Dib... I'm so sorry." He said; finally.

Still not getting a response, Zim then hung his head; closing his eyes. A groaned soon caused Zim to turn sharply to his friend. Dib began to stir. Soon, his eyes fluttered open.

"Zim?" He groan finally.

"Dib! You're alright!" Zim said; feeling a flash of relief wash over him.

"What happened?" Dib asked; feeling a bit dizzy as he slowly propped himself up on his elbows.

"You were unconscious," Zim replied; still a bit worried about what had happened. "You were nearly buried under the rubble from the cave in."

It was then that Dib remembered happened; his eyes growing wide.

"Oh." He said finally.

"And... Thanks for saving me." Zim grinned.

"You're welcome." Dib smiled back.

"Ahem!" Someone said; causing them to turn see Xane and the others staring back at them.

"Well, if you two are done having a moment, you think we could get back to what we were doing?" Xane smirked crossing his arms.

Zim and Dib scowled at Xane but soon looked around to where they had ended up.

"So where are we?" Dib asked finally; glancing around as he got to his hands and knees.

"I'm not sure," Skooge answered as everyone else looked around; wondering the same. "This tunnel doesn't look like it's been used that much.

"Well, wherever we are, there has to be a way out somewhere." Elora replied as Dib began stand up.

"GAH!" Dib yelped painfully as his legs buckled beneath his weight.

"Dib! Are you alright?" Zim asked. Dib winced as he held his leg in agony.

"My leg... It hurts when I put any weight on it." He replied; reeling in agony.

Zim soon gazed at everyone else; who also had a many scrapes and bruises from what happened. He soon hung his head.

"I'm sorry everyone," Zim said with a pang of guilt. "This is my fault. Now might be stuck here with no clue of where we are."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Xane replied; wincing as he rubbed at the pain in his head; but soon placed a hand on Zim's shoulder. "Those jerks would've caught us if you hadn't caused the cave in. So we're thankful for that."

"Speak for yourself." Dib murmured; massaging the soreness in his leg.

"Here let me help you." Elora said; stooping down and slinging Dib's arm over her shoulder. "I think we should follow this tunnel," Elora said as she steadied Dib into the standing position; which caused Dib to wince slightly. "There might be a way out if we do."

"Well, I doubt we'd find a way if we went the way we _came_, so obviously we'll go down the other way." Xane replied sarcastically; crossing his arms.

Elora ignored him; turning to where the tunnel continued on.

"C'mon, the Voltarians could be finding a way here any minute." Elora said.

And so everyone began their way down the passage. They all followed Elora; who supported Dib as the five of them traveled down the dark tunnel.

**Sorry for the wait ^^; I had to figure out what should happen next :) Also, this part is a little bit short ^^; I hope you're not upset about not getting more up to read :( But I hope you're still enjoying my story :) Anyways, this part might've also been a bit rushed ^^; I'm hoping to get more up soon :) So please stay tuned :) PLEASE MAKE SURE TO R&R! :D THANKS! :D:D**


	14. Chapter 14

The Darknest Hour

Part Fourteen

The only thing that could be heard were the sounds of footsteps as they made their way down the passage; which seemed to be going on forever. No one said a word as they ventured onward. As they did so, Zim continued to think of how they were going to make it out of the caves.

Since everything outside the tunnel had come crashing down in the explosion, it was likely that it had destroyed many of the possible escape routes that led them out of the caves. _'There _has_ to be a way out of this place.'_

Zim was suddenly cut from his thoughts as he accidently bumped into Skooge who had been in front of him; causing him to fall over. Zim had not noticed that everyone had stopped. Skooge turned in shock at the impact and saw Zim staring back at him from where he was now sitting.

"Um... Sorry." Zim said; feeling sheepish.

"It's okay." Skooge replied with a smile; helping him up.

"We'll rest here for a while." Elora said turning to the others.

She then slowly stooped down to help Dib rest against the wall.

After a moment, she stood up.

"You guys wait here," She told them. "I'm going to go check the tunnel."

Everyone nodded and soon Elora rushed ahead to scout the tunnel. Zim stood for a moment before turning to his friend nearby. Dib rested against the wall massaging his sore leg. Zim took this moment to make his way over. Dib looked up in surprise to see Zim standing there.

"How is your leg?" Zim asked; concerned.

"It could've been better." He replied; after a moment.

Though in pain he still managed a smile. Zim half smiled.

"I'm sorry this happened." He frowned.

"It's okay, Zim," Dib replied. "If you hadn't caused the cave in, the Voltarians would've gotten to us and killed us already."

"Yeah... I guess." Zim said; half-heartedly. "But now we might be stuck here."

"I'm sure we'll find a way outta here." Dib replied.

"He's right." Came a new voice.

The two turned to see Xane and Skooge standing there.

"We'll get outta here." Xane stated.

"Yeah, and if the Voltarians come, we'll kick their scaly butts." Skooge smiled.

At that moment, Elora came back. She had a look of joy on her face.

"Guys!" She shouted; slowing her pace to catch her breath.

It wasn't long that they saw someone came in from behind her. Zim's eyes grew wide as he saw what he saw. He could tell it was a young female Irken. She was dressed in a deep purple dress with black boots and gloves and had deep violet eyes and had a somewhat strange device attached to the side of her face.

"Tak!" Zim cried out as the She-Irken came closer.

"Zim! Skooge!" She cried out as well. The three friends embraced each other out of joy.

"What're you doing here?" Skooge asked; smiling as he pulled back from hugging Tak.

"I will explain later." Tak replied; seeming to be in a rush. "The others are waiting for us."

Zim; at this moment, stooped down and slung Dib's arm over his shoulder; helping him stand up.

"Tak, you and Elora can lead the way." He stated as he steadied Dib.

Tak nodded; before breaking free from Skooge's grasp.

"This way." She said; motioning them to follow.

As they continued on, they felt the ground quiver slightly.

"We need to hurry," Tak stated after a moment. "That earthquake made the tunnels really unstable."

As this was said, Zim began to feel a bit nervous. Soon, he spoke up.

"Um... Actually, that wasn't an earthquake." He admitted; nervously.

This caused Tak and the others to stop. Tak soon turned around.

"What do you mean it wasn't an earthquake, Zim?" She asked; looking somewhat suspicious.

"I kind of... Um... Blew up one of the tunnels?" Zim confessed; grinning nervously.

Tak stared at him in shock.

"Zim... You... What were you _thinking_!" Tak shouted.

"It was the only thing I could think of to do while we were being chased by the guards!" Zim argued; more nervous than before.

"At least the guards aren't chasing us anymore." Dib said; coming to Zim defense.

Tak stopped to think.

"Well, that's true." She admitted.

Soon, she turned to her friend.

"Zim?"

Zim flinched slightly.

"I have to admit that was pretty resourceful." Tak said finally.

Zim and Dib smiled.

"But completely stupid." Tak added; causing Zim's jaw to go slack and Dib to start snickering.

Zim shot him a dirty look; which made Dib go quiet.

"Now, come on; we have to hurry." Tak said; motioning them to follow.

And so they made their way through the tunnel with Tak and Elora leading the way with the others following close behind.

**XD Even though it's angst, and friendship I still wanted to put some humor in there :D Sorry if this parts kinda rushed ^^; I had to figure out what to do :( Also, this part is a little bit short ^^; I hope you're not upset :( Anyways, I'll get more up soon :) PLEASE MAKE SURE TO R&R! :D THANKS! :D:D**


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